Roxanne (Steve Martin)

(Amazon UK link)

Interspersed with new films, we’re watching some which we haven’t seen for ten years or more. Last night we decided to re-watch ‘Roxanne’, the film starring Steve Martin as Charlie, the fireman with the long nose. It’s is loosely based on the classic Cyrano de Bergerac, although we’ve never managed to watch that.

Charlie is a likeable, popular and intelligent man, but he has a hard time with romantic relationships. His nose isn’t just long, it’s somewhat disturbingly so, and difficult to ignore. So when the beautiful Roxanne (Daryl Hannah) comes to live in his town, he’s pretty sure he has no chance with her, other than as a friend. And, indeed, she asks him to help her get together with Chris (Rick Rosovitch), a good-looking fireman who has recently started working for Charlie.

Roxanne is an astronomer who likes interesting conversation. Chris is not only shy but lacks any kind of culture or interest in anything other than (as he puts it) getting in her pants. So he asks Charlie to write letters… and Charlie pours out his heart.

The outcome is somewhat predictable, but nicely done and there’s a great deal of humour as well as some quite moving scenes. Steve Martin is a master of comic timing, and while slapstick isn’t my preferred style, I liked this film very much. The humour isn’t just physical, either; there’s a wonderful scene in a bar, where he comes up with a list of suitable insults appropriate to his nose, which manages to be both amusing and poignant.

I’d remembered the overall storyline from a decade or two ago, but had entirely forgotten most of the interactions and dialogue. I gather that much of it is taken almost directly from Cyrano de Bergerac, but it’s modern (in a 1980s style) in a way that works extremely well. It’s thought-provoking too, and I hope would encourage viewers to think about the importance of character and personality over appearance.

The rating is PG in both the US and UK, although I feel a 12 (PG-13) would have been more appropriate. While there’s nothing explicit, there are a lot of innuendoes, some non-frontal nudity (in a mostly humorous context), a slightly violent scene, and quite a bit of minor bad language.

It's not something I would want to show children, although young teenagers might appreciate it. It could make a good starting point for a discussion about the way people can be treated based on physical characteristics such as Charlie’s nose.

This film has become a classic in its own right, and (in my view) deservedly so. Steve Martin is flawless, and the supporting characters are all excellent. The pace is just right, and the ending entirely satisfactory.

Highly recommended.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews